Permission to reproduce and distribute this page has been granted by the copyright holder, HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved. Illustrations © 2013 by Adam Rex.

Have students act out the story as you read it aloud again. Or have

students design puppets to enact the story as you read it aloud.

Discuss how Adam Rex included many details in his illustrations

of the different settings (library, diner, circus). Brainstorm a

list of settings that the students are familiar with (e.g., zoo,

playground, classroom) and ask them to design their own

setting on large paper (12”x18” or larger). Remind them

to include as many details as possible. Students can use

media such as paint, pastels, markers, or colored pencils.

Share the information from the following KidsHealth page

with the students: http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/sneeze.html. Discuss what makes us sneeze and how we can avoid

transmitting germs to others when we sneeze.

Since Chu is a baby panda bear, research and record facts about pandas on a chart.

(The San Diego Zoo website offers great information for children at http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/animals/mammals/giant-panda.) Have kids create a fact card by

writing and illustrating one of the facts on an index card. Collect the cards, hole-punch

them in the corner, and place cards on a ring for students to read and enjoy.

Let’s Try . . .

Let’s Talk About . . . Why is this story funny? What parts made you laugh?

What is surprising about the story? What does “expect the unexpected” mean?

(Have students convey the idea that when Chu’s parents expect him to sneeze,

he doesn’t, but when they don’t expect him to sneeze, he does!)

Is Chu a good name for this little panda? Why or why not?

Where does Chu go in the story (library, diner, circus)? Where do you and your parents like to go together?

Have you ever been to the circus? Ask students to describe their experiences.

What are your favorite kinds of books to read at the library?

Chu goes to the Moby Diner. What are your favorite restaurants?

Describe what happens all over town after Chu sneezes.

AFTER READING

Continued on the next page . . .

www.harpercollinschildrens.comwww.mousecircus.com

Permission to reproduce and distribute this page has been granted by the copyright holder, HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved. Illustrations © 2013 by Adam Rex.

Guide created by Sue Ornstein, a first-grade teacher in the Byram Hills School District in Armonk, New York.

Arrange a trip to your town’s local library. Ask the librarian

to familiarize students with how the library is organized

and give students an opportunity to browse the selection of

books. Students can also sign up to receive a library card to

encourage future visits to the library with their families.

Ask students to name six popular animals, including a panda.

Create a graph and have students vote for their favorite of

these six animals and record their choice on the graph. Then

discuss the data, asking students questions such as, “Which

animal has the most votes? The least? How many more

students like the ____ than the _____?” For older students,

include the number sentences (e.g., 6-2=4).

Have students (either as a class or individually)

write another outlandish adventure for Chu.

Encourage students to use humor and imagination

as the author Neil Gaiman did.

Discuss the split illustration (diner/library)

and ask students why the illustrator made

the picture this way. (Students should

understand that these events are

happening simultaneously.)

Have students design a “split

illustration” drawing to show two

events occurring at the same time.

Brainstorm a list of circus acts and circus animals with

the class. Then ask several students to design a circus

backdrop on a large piece of roll paper. Have the other

students choose (or be assigned) a circus act or animal to

draw, cut out, decorate (with glitter, buttons, etc.), and glue

onto the roll paper to create a colorful circus mural. Pieces

may be affixed to the mural with doubled pieces of tape to

make them pop out from the background, giving the mural a

three-dimensional quality.

AFTER READING continued

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